Wayne Rooney didn't hesitate when naming the best player he played with for England

Former England captain Wayne Rooney has named the best player he played with during his international career.

Rooney, 39, is one of the greatest players in English football history, having played for the likes of Manchester United and Everton during his time in the Premier League.

On the international stage, Rooney played 120 matches for England, scoring 53 goals.

He became the country's all-time top goal scorer in 2015 but was eventually overtaken by Harry Kane in 2023.

During his time playing for the Three Lions, Rooney shared the pitch with some of the best players in the country's rich history, including the likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

But who was the best player he played alongside for England?

In an interview with former England team-mate Gary Neville for Sky Sports in 2018, Rooney gave his definitive answer.

He said: "It's got to be Steven Gerrard.

"At times, he got us through games. At the period where, obviously, we lost a players - yourself, Rio, Becks. It was me, Stevie and Frank left.

Rooney added: "Stevie pulled us through our games then."

Gerrard and Rooney played alongside each other for most of their respective England careers, with the Liverpool legend making his Three Lions debut in 2000.

Both players would also make their competitive tournament debuts at Euro 2004 - where Rooney burst onto the international scene.

And speaking to Neville on an episode of The Overlap while he was manager of Aston Villa, Gerrard revealed that the United icon was the England player he got along with the best. The respect, therefore, is mutual.

He explained: "I think Wazza is one of those people, especially when you're away with your family, you need people like Wayne Rooney who are going to lift the room, or lift the day, or do something.

"I used to love being around Wayne, and obviously because we've come from similar areas and stuff I used to really love spending time with Wayne."